With a literal meaning of “porous bone,” osteoporosis represents a disease that often goes undetected until a bone facture occurs. The density of a bone slowly erodes over the years until one day, the bone can no longer support any physical activity. If you face the prospect of having to deal with the pain and lack of mobility associated with osteoporosis, you understand the frustration involved in trying to get back to work and pay the family bills.
Living with osteoporosis involves not only having to deal with intense pain and a considerable lack of mobility, you also must find a way to pay for treating the disease. A federal program eases the financial burden of living with osteoporosis.
Back to topDisability Benefits Can Make a Financial Difference
When you face the prospect of dealing with a long-term disease such as osteoporosis, you have to find a way to pay for healthcare costs, as well as cover the costs associated with basic daily living. The debilitating disease makes it almost impossible for anyone to continue working, which means a program managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) offers you the financial resources required to stay financially afloat. Determined by the guidelines set forth in the Blue Book, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is the safety net hundreds of thousands of professionals use to pay for lost wages and medical expenses.
Sometimes, the SSA requires SSDI applicants to submit an additional document called the Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment form. An RFC provides the SSA with evidence about how a disease such as Osteoporosis has caused irreparable financial harm. The SSA considers an RFC assessment form to represent a supplemental source of information. An RFC cannot replace an SSDI application as the sole source of information for proving how a disability has forced you off the job.
Back to topFocus on Submitting Medical Documentation
The SSA devises the RFC assessment form to cover every factor that can lead to a favorable decision concerning SSDI benefits. However, it is up to you to ensure your RFC presents the most compelling evidence about the negative impact osteoporosis has made on your personal and professional lives. Attaching medical documentation to your RFC form goes a long way towards convincing the SSA to approve your SSDI application.
First, you want to submit evidence of an accurate diagnosis for the destructive disease. A bone mineral density (BMD) test is a good place to start. A BMD represents the main diagnostic test that confirms the presence of osteoporosis. The test identifies areas that have lost bone mass, as well as depicts the severity of the disease. One of the most used tests for determining BMD is called a Dexa-Scan, which is a double energy x-ray that measures bone absorption. A Dexa-Scan is an especially effective diagnostic tool for a hip and/or spine analysis.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation
They say you never get a second chance to make a positive first impression. Well, that is certainly true when it comes to submitting an RFC assessment form. The SSA gives applicants one shot to prove their eligibility for disability benefits. You can submit what appears to be the most persuasive medical evidence and still miss out on disability insurance. By completing a free case evaluation, you should learn where the holes are in your RFC assessment form. You should receive the results of the evaluation within a few days of submitting information.
Schedule a free case evaluation to determine the strength of your RFC assessment form.
Back to topAdditional Resources
- Qualifying for Disability Benefits Overview
- How An Attorney Can Help
- Social Security Disability Benefits for Osteoporosis
- Permanent Restrictions After Developing Osteoporosis
